Automatic air-coupling.



0. 811,961. PATBNTED FEB. 6, 1906.

E. V. SEXMITH &-D. E. MOULTON.

AUTOMATIC OAR'UO'UPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APB..13, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

,961. PATENTED FEB. '6, 1906.

E. V. SEXMITH .61 D. E. MOULTON.

AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13. 1905.

2 SHIJETS-BHBBT2 Y/Vl/E/VTORS mensugz m m w W v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMERSON VALLEAU s X iTH, OFFOND DU 14. 10;, W ZlSCONSI Ni, Lin-n DEXTER EDWABDMOULTON, or BELLE YPLAINE, iowA;-

Au'romario AIR-'GQUPLING.

Naenpei.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 13, 1905. Serial 110,256,362-

Patented Feb. 19 06.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EMERSON VALLEAU SEXMITH, a resident of Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, and DEXTER EDWARD MoUL'roN, a resident of Belle Plaine, in the county of Benton and State of Iowa, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and Im roved Automatic Air-Coupler, of which the ollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to an automatic aircoupler for use upon either passenger or freight trains; and the principal objects thereof are to add to the efficiency without increasing the cost of these devices and to provide a construction which will operate effectively to conduct air from one car to another, as

Well as to provide for the automatic coupling of the parts and to secure means for allowing adjustment to suit various kinds of cars.

eference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formin a part of this specification, in which simi ar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the end of a car, showing one manner of mounting thereon a coupler embodying the principle of our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3, showing the cou ling member of our improved coupler an also showing in section a sup porting member therefor. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 40f Fig 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the coupling elements of two cars in engagement with each other. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 60f Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 2; andFig. 9 is a view similarto Fig. 3, showing a modified form of our invention suitable for freight-cars.

Fi 1 shows a car provided with the usual couple 11 and its attachments A hanger 12 is connected with the draw-bar, and by.

as shown, having two rearwardly-extending projections 17, between the endsof which is contained an end block 18, held by bolts or pins 19. This supporting member projects toward the end of the car and is provided with a pair of perforations at its ends for receiving a pin 21 by means of which it is pivotally connected. with a coupling member 22. The pin passes through a erforation 22 in the -couplin member, whic 1, as shown in Fig. 7, is flare outwardly in both directions from the center to provide for a rocking motion of the coupling member. The supporting member is also provided with a depression 23 for receiving the end of a spring 42, which is rigidly attached at the other end to the inner part of the coupling member: The coupling member can swing slightly upon the pin 21 to accommodate curves, and the spring 24 will yield'to allow for this movement, but will return the parts into alinement after the curve is passed. The bolt 13 also allows for giving play to the coupler to correspond to that of the knuckle of the coupler 11. It alsoprovides for a free rise and fall, allowing the device to con 1e and uncou 1e and toconform to the heights of loade and empty cars and also to cars of different makes. The coupling member is rovided with two projections 25 and 26, the iormer having an. inclined lower surface 27 and a notch 28,forming a projection 29. The projection 26 has a slanting surface 30. Between the two projections is a guide-plate 31. This guide-plate hasa slanting upper surface and its rear corner 32 at the top corresponds inversely to the notch 28. As both the coupling members are formed in the same manner the two will fit together, as shown in F h s. 5 and 6, when theprojection 25 of each is assed into the space between the two proections 25 and 26 of the other. jection 32 of each couphn then enters the notch 28. of the other coup ing member, and this looks the parts in osition until both of the members are raise to release the parts from this position. This is preferably accom lished by the operation of av chain 33, whic is connected with an eye 34 inthetop of each coupling member an is in turn connected with any desirable operating arm or lever within convenient reach of the operator. The purpose of providim the slanting surfaces 27 and will be readily seen. They serve as guides to cause the parts to enter the The -pro- 'with this automatic coupler.

connection, which are left as they now are to provide for coupling with cars-not equipped Fi 1 shows in dotted lines the coupler in inc ined position as it remains when dropped out of lockmg position. Leading from the nozzle or pipe is a passage 36, which enters a charm her 37 in the body of the coupler. This chamber communicates through a passageSS with an outlet 39. This outlet is preferably provided with a rubber or other gasket 40. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 6 that the two outlets of the right and left members of the coupling register with each other when the parts are in interlockingposition. Between the chamber 37 and the passage 38 is an opening 41, having a gasket 42 and controlled by a valve 43. Thisvalve is mounted upon a stem 44, which is guided in a recess 45 and a brass bushing 46. Normally the airpressure in the passage 36 forces the valve-43 to its seat and closes the passage 41; but when the parts are in interlocking position the slanting surface 27 comes into contact with the end of the valve-stem and forces the valve from its seat. This operation is show i in Fig. 6, and the position of the valve when the parts are locked isshown in Fig. 4. A plate 47 is preferably located over the chamber 37 and secured in position in any desired manner, with a packing 48 between it and the walls of the coupling member, so as to provide fipr an inspection of the valve and other parts within the chamber.

The parts so far described are equally applicable to freight and passenger cars, and as faras the use of the device for freight-cars is congerned it needs no more attachments. The form shown in Fig. 9 is provided with the same reference-numerals as those used for describing the other figures, because the parts are substantially the same and serve in all cases the same purposes so far as described above. Where the device is intended to be used for passenger-cars, however, additional features are preferably employed for the purose of automatically controlling the steameatingand air-signalsystems used on passenger-cars. These additional features consist merely in. passages 49 and 50 for these two systems, respectively. These passages are-provided with nozzles or pipes 51 and 52, respectively, for connection with steam-hose 53 and the air-signal hose 54. They are also rovided with outlets 5 5 and 56, having gasets 57 and 58, respectively. These sets of outlets and gaskets register with those upon the other member of the coupler on the ext car.

The manner of operation of the device will be clearly understood from the foregoing description and need not be repeated.

It is to be understood that the invention is capable of use on either passenger or freight cars, and, moreover, that it is capable of embodiment in many other forms than that illustrated, the latter being chosen merely to show the principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1-. An air-coupler having a. vhorizontallyslidable block for connecting it with the drawbar of a car, said block being adapted to yield 0 conform to the horizontal play of the draw- 2. An air-coupler having a sliding block, said block being provided with a transverse pin for pivotally connecting it with the drawbar of a car.

An air-coupler comprisin a supporting member having a slidable bloc for connecting it with a draw-bar, and a coupling member movably connected with the supporting member.

4. An air-coupler comprising a supporting member having a slidable block for connecting it with a draw-bar, a coupling member movably connected with the supporting member, and resilient means for normall holding said members in alinement.

5. A coupler, comprising two members, one

member having a depression and the other member having a longitudinal spring entering said depression to yieldingly retain the members in alinement.

' 6. An air-coupler comprising a supporting member, and a coupling member having a spring projecting toward the. supporting member, the supporting member having meansfor engaging the spring, said spring normally. acting to keep said members in alinement.

7. An air-coupler comprising a supporting member, and a coupling member having a longitudinal bar-spring projecting toward the supporting member, the supportingmemher having means for-engaging the spring; said coupling member having an air-brake passage therein, a valve in the passage, and a stem for the valve adapted to be operated by a companion coupler.

8. An air-coupler comprising a coupling member having an air-brake passage, avalve XIO movable longitudinally of the coupler and.

adapted to close the passage, a longitudinal stem projecting beyond the surface of said member, and a rearwardly-inclined surface adapted to engage a similar projecting stem of a companion coupler.

9. An air-coupler comprising a coupling member. having a projection provided with a slanting lower surface and with a notch, and a plate adjacent to said projection correigo sponding in shape with the'not-ch but extending in the opposite direction.

10. An air-coupler comprising a coupling member having a pair of projections, one of said projections being provided with a slant- 111g lower surface and adapted to enter a space between snmlar pro ections upon the companion coupling member, a notch on one of tlons, one of said projections being provided with a slanting lower surface and adapted to enter a space between similar projections upon a companion coupling member, the projection having a slanting surface, being provided with a notch, and the coupling memher being provided with a plate between the two pro ections, said plate corresponding in shape with the notch but extending in the opposite direction.

12. An automatic air-coupler comprising a coupling member having means for looking it to a companion member of the same shape said coupling member being provided with a passage for the air of an air-brake system, a passage for connection with an air-signal system, and a steam-passage, each of said passages having an outlet and said outlets being located adjacent to each other upon the inner surface of the coupling member.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMERSON VALLEAU SEXMITIL DEXTER EDWARD MOULTON. to the signature of Emerson Witnesses as V. Sexmith:

JOHN H. GoREs, H. F. JonNsoN. Witnesses as to the signature of Dexter E. Monlton:

E. P. EDWARDS, H. H. GOLTMAN. 

